Source: The West Australian
Contact: Fax +61 8 94823830
Pubdate: 14 Aug 1998
Author: Jennifer Grove

DRUGS CAUTIONS 'NOT NEW'

CAUTIONING first-time offenders for possessing small amounts of cannabis
would merely formalise what the police had been doing for years, according
to the Alcohol and Other Drugs Council of Australia.

Chief executive David Crosbie said if the Government tried to lock up all
the people who smoked cannabis jails would be overflowing.

"I don't think the police are particularly active in enforcing this law,"
Mr Crosbie said last night.

"It's a good move but in the context of the fairly hard line the Government
is taking on other drug issues it's a long way from dealing with the drug
problem."

Mr Crosbie said other jurisdictions had already introduced cautioning so
the move was not new and the Government still lacked effective diversion
programs.

"The Government has done better in the last few years but the bottom line
is that drugs are still a fringe area in terms of health expenditure," he
said.

"It's a big community issue and a lot more could be done to support and
treat people with drug problems."

Greens (WA) MLC Christine Sharp congratulated the Govern-ment on the move
but said it was not nearly enough.

"It's really positive they have not stopped in a position where they refuse
to budge. It is a positive step," she said.

Dr Sharp said the Greens had been planning to introduce legislation this
session to decriminalise the use of cannabis and that was still likely.

"Decriminalisation of marijuana is a matter of urgency," she said.

The Greens supported the National Party suggestion of heroin trials.

Democrats MLC Noun Kelly supported the move by the Government agreed with
Dr Sharp that more needed to be done and said the Democrats would support
legislation to decriminalise.

"It's a positive step in the right direction but there is a lot further to
go," he said. Mr Kelly said had hoped the lecture would not be a means for
the Government to broadcast its outdated ideas on drugs.

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Checked-by: Mike Gogulski